Sales Apprenticeship - Special Markets (Remote)

Company Description

Penguin Random House is the leading adult and children's publishing house in North America, the United Kingdom and many other regions around the world. In publishing the best books in every genre and subject for all ages, we are committed to quality, excellence in execution, and innovation throughout the entire publishing process: editorial, design, marketing, publicity, sales, production, and distribution. Our vibrant and diverse international community of nearly 300 publishing brands and imprints include Ballantine Bantam Dell, Berkley, Clarkson Potter, Crown, DK, Doubleday, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Little Golden Books, Knopf, Modern Library, Pantheon, Penguin Books, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House Audio, Penguin Young Readers, Portfolio, Puffin, Putnam, Random House, Random House Children's Books, Riverhead, Ten Speed Press, Viking, and Vintage, among others. More information can be found at .

Job Description

Are you interested in learning more about how books end up in some of your favorite stores like Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, or Williams Sonoma?  Penguin Random House is offering an 8 month, remote, paid Apprenticeship Program to gain hands-on experience in sales within the Publishing Industry.

Apprenticeship Structure:

• The Apprentice will work for 15 hours per week. This includes:
  • 5 synchronous hours (e.g., meetings with supervisor/project managers, attending meetings, shadowing sales calls). These hours must be completed between Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm EST.
  • 10 asynchronous hours for project work (researching new sales opportunities, market trends, creating presentations, recording sales activity in Salesforce, coordinating show materials, etc.). These hours may be completed on your own time.
  • The Program will run from September 2026 – April 2027
  • The salary for this position is $21.00/hour.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in identifying and developing new sales opportunities in non-traditional markets such as gift shops and specialty retailers.
• Creating seasonal PowerPoint presentations, sales materials, proposals and target sales pitches. 
• Conduct market research to identify trends and potential new markets.
• Conduct sales analysis by tracking performance metrics, identifying trends and growth opportunities.
• Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to develop tailored sales strategies.
• Maintain and update sales databases and customer records. 
• Capturing and maintaining sales activity notes in Salesforce.
• Coordinating materials for seasonal sell-in efforts, gift and other specialty shows, etc.
• Researching niche categories and new accounts to support business development efforts.
• Communicating with sales management regarding account activity and preparing weekly sales reports.
• Participate in sales meetings.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Minimum of three years of experience in retail, customer service, buying, merchandising, or other related areas in any industry.

• Strong interest in sales and the publishing industry.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation skills.

• Detail-oriented with strong time management and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively under pressure including manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proactive approach with strong follow-up and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Salesforce preferred. 
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment. 
• Interest in specialty retail with an eye for merchandising and trends in the retail marketplace is a strong plus.

How to Apply:

Please submit your resume and cover letter explaining your interest in the Sales apprenticeship and how your skills and experiences align with the program.  Please note that participation in this program does not guarantee future employment.

The application deadline is July 10th at 11:59 pm ET

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Disclosure requirements pertaining to the collection of your personal data:

Responsible for processing the information provided in your application is the company specified in the job advertisement, with its registered office as indicated. The company processes your data for the purpose of establishing an employment relationship on the basis of Art. 6 (1) b GDPR / Section 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG.

The retention period for your data is determined by the statutory time limits applicable in the respective country, beginning upon completion of the recruitment process. You can find these here .

You can contact the company’s Data Protection Officer at the above-mentioned postal address. 

Further information on data protection and your rights can be found here .

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